Jail or prison.



NO. 722,780 PATENTED MAR. 17, 1903.

' F. o. WEARY.

JAIL 0R PRISON.

APPLTOATION FILED JULY 21, I902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

"m: nonms Prrzns 00.. PMOTO-LlTNO" wasumswu o c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK O. WEARY, OF AKRON, OHIO.

JAIL OR PRISON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,780, dated March 17, 1903. Application filed July 21, 1902. Serial No. 116,385. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANK O.WEARY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Akron, in the county of Summit and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Jails or Prisons; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in lockups, jails, or prisons.

The primary object of this invention is to plan and construct lockups, jails, or prisons upon sanitary, humane, and reformatory principles in such a manner as to separate and individually isolate the inmates for the purpose of preventing the forming of new prison acquaintanceships and the recognitions and commingling of degenerates and professional criminals, and also to prevent an indiscriminate herding of arrested persons, and also to prevent the lesser or first ofienders from coming into contact or communication with the vicious and depraved,

' and consequently to prevent the propagation and development of crimes and criminals in the place of confinement.

Another object is to prevent a prisoner in any cell of the jail or prison when looking out of the window of his cell or when parading in the adjacent exercise-corridor or when entering or departing from the jail or prison from seeing or recognizing or being seen or recognized by any other prisoner within the jail or prison.

Another object is to enable the turnkey, marshal, guard, or keeper or other prison officer to have ready and constant surveillance over the entire jail or prison and to conveniently see any and all parts of the jail or prison.

Another object is to enable a preacher or speaker to see and address all prisoners simultaneously from a certain stand or position and to be seen by all the prisoners,while communication with or recognition of a prisoner in any cell by a prisoner in any other cell is efiectually avoided.

Another object is to improve the sanitation and ventilation of the jail or prison.

Another object is to attain the advantages hereinbefore mentioned by providing the lockup, jail, or prison with an inner court and'cells bounding the said court and arranged in two rows, formed at opposite sides, respectively, of the court, and a window in the court-facing or court-bounding wall of each of the said cells, which window is arranged to receive light from the court and has such arrangement relative to the courtfacing windows of the other cells thata prisoner in any cell in looking out of the window of his cell cannot see or recognize nor be seen or recognized by a prisoner in another cell.

Another object is to so relatively form and arrange the inner court and the cell-windows which receive light from the court that the guard or other? jail officer can readilysee or look into all of the cells from within the said court and-that the prisoners in all of the cells can without seeing one another satisfactorily see a speakerjail officer, preacher, or

lecturer-addressing them from within the court.

Another object is to provide an improved arrangement of inner court, cells, and corridors.

With these objects in view and to the end of realizing other advantages hereinafter appearing my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I is a top plan, in horizontal section, of the preferred form of jail or prison embodying my invention. Fig. II is a vertical section on line II II, Fig. I, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. III is a top plan, in horizontal section, of a jail or prison also within the scope of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, a designates an inner court formed within and centrally between opposite side walls ofthej ail or prison.

The court a is ventilated and lighted in, any

approved manner, being shown in communication at the top (see Fig. II) with the external atmosphere. Two rows of cells b are arranged at opposite sides, respectively, of and contiguous to the court a. The court has preferably a generally triangular form in plan, as shown in Fig. I, so that the two rows of cells diverge toward the wider or larger end of the court, and each cell of each row of cells projects somewhat into or toward the court a, as at c, and the projecting portion a of the said cell is formed by two upright walls as and y, which converge toward the opposite row of cells, and the walls 11 of the projecting portions of the cells of both rows of cells face one and the same end of the court. The wall y of each cell' is provided with a window 6, by which the said cell is lighted and ventilated from the court. The windows 6 face one and the same end of the court, and the window e of each cell of each row of cells is arranged at such an angle relative to the windows e of the cells of the opposite row of cells that a prisoner within any cell can neither see or recognize nor be seen or recognized by a prisoner in another cell.

By the provision of a court between two opposite rows of cells and the hereinbeforedescribed relative arrangement of the windows of the cells it is obvious that a prisoner in any cell is prevented from seeing or recognizing or being seen or recognized by a prisoner in any other cell, that the guard or other ofiicer can look into the cells from the court, and, in fact, can look into the windows 6 of all of the cells of both rows of cells from the courts end toward which the said windows face, and that a speaker can by taking a position upon a platform or stand j, provided centrally of the said end of the court, address all of the prisoners in the various cells and see and hear and be seen by all such prisoners through the said windows. Preferably each cell of each row of cells is arranged directly opposite a cell of the other row of cells, so that the windows 6 of the said directly opposite cells diverge somewhat toward the speakers end of the court. In a jail or prison having the generally triangular inner court, as shown in Fig. I, the walls a: of the cells are parallel, whereas in a jail or prison having a rectangular or quadrangular inner court approximately uniform in width from end to end, as shown in Fig. III, the Walls a: of directly-opposite cells of the two rows of cells converge toward the speakers end of the court.

Although the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in Fig. III are within the scope of my invent-ion, it will be observed that the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in Figs. I and II are preferable, because a jail or prison having the generally triangular inner court between two cell-rows which diverge toward the wider or observation end of the said court has more light and better ventilation in the said court and in the court-bounding cells and afiords a better view between the said end of the court and the cell-windows e.

The window e of each cell is of course preferably grated at its inner side, as at g, to prevent access to the sash or sashes of the said window by the prisoner within the said cell. At the outer side of each row of cells are arranged or formed two parallel or approximately parallel corridors 7.", and Z, which extend longitudinally of the said row of cells, with the inner corridor Z between the outer corridor 7c and the said cells and extending from end to end of the said row of cells, and a safety-grating m, extending from floor to ceiling,efi'ectually separates the said corridors 7c and Z.- The outer side of each outer corridor 7c is formed by an outer wall 0 of the jail or prison, which wall 0 is provided with windows p for ventilating and lighting the said corridor and for ventilating and lighting the adjacent inner corridorl through the grating m between the said corridors. The outer corridors It are connected together at the observation end oi the courtthat is, at the courts end toward which the windows 6 of the cells faceby a transverse corridor f, and the end wall 7" of the court at the said end of the court participates in the formation of a side wall of the said corridor and is provided with doors s, which afford access to the court from the said corridor, and with windows 25 for ventilating and lighting the said corridor from the court. The windows 25 enable the guard, jailer, or other ofificer to watch the entire court and the windows 6 of the cells from a position within the corridor f. The outer corridors 7c are also connected together at their opposite ends by a transverse hall 7t, and a door a controls communication between the said hall h and the court a. It will be observed, therefore, that convenient passages from opposite. ends of the outer corridors k to opposite ends, respectively, of the court are provided.

The inner side wall of each inner corridor Z has doors at, affording access to the cells, arranged along the said corridor Z, and the grating m between the said corridorl and the adjacent outer corridor is is provided with a door n for access to the said inner corridor Z,

which door is a solid plate or impert'orate door, so as to prevent any prisoner in said inner corridor from seeing or communicating with another prisoner confined in an adjacent cell.

The inner corridors Z not only form passages for access to the cells, but also afford suitable, convenient, and well-lighted places to which the prisoners can be taken or ad mitted for exercise, preferably one at a time, so as to prevent their visiting or communicating with or seeing or recognizing each other. The outer corridors k are for the use of the guard or other officer and enable the officer to watch and control the prisoners without coming into direct contact with them and are also for accommodating the military in defending the jail or prison against an attack by a mob from without or by the prisoners from within.

It will be observed that the lighting of each cell directly from the inner and central court aids in preventing communication between prisoners by permitting the use of the solid plate or imperforate doors 01 instead of necessitating the transmission of light into the cells from the inner corridors Z through windows, grating, perforations, or openings in the said doors d.

What I claim is- 1. Ajailorprisoncomprisinganinnercourt which has a generally triangular form in plan, and cells arranged in two rows which extend along opposite sides, respectively, of and diverge toward the wider end of the court,which cells have windows which face the court and have such relative arrangement that a prisoner in any cell cannot see-or recognize, nor be seen or recognized by, a prisoner in any other cell.

2. In a jail or prison, an inner court which has a generally triangularform in plan; cells arranged in two rows which extend along opposite sides, respectively, of and diverge toward the wider end of the court, and each cell having a portion thereof facing the wider end of the court and provided with a window, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A jail or prison comprising an inner court; cells having windows facing the court, which cells are arranged in two rows extending along opposite sides, respectively, of the court; corridors arranged at and longitudinally of the outer sides of the rows of cells; doors afiording access from the said corridors to the adjacent cells, and a passage between the said corridors and between the court and the said corridors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. Ajail or prison comprising an inner court; cells arranged in two rows extending along opposite sides, respectively, of the court, which cells have windows facing the court; an inner corridor and an outer corridor arranged at and longitudinally of the outer side of each row of cells with the outer side wall of the said outer corridor forming an outer wall of the jail or prison; a grating arranged bet-weenand thereby separating the said corridors and provided with a door; doors affording access from the said inner corridor to the adjacent cells, and passages between opposite ends of the outer corridors and opposite ends, respectively, of the court, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. Ajail orprison comprising an inner court; cells arranged in two rows extending along opposite sides, respectively, of the court; an inner corridor and an outer corridor arranged at and longitudinally of the outer side of each row of cells; grating arranged between and thereby separating the said corridors and provided with a door; doors affording access from the said inner corridor to the adjacent cells, and passages between the outer corridor on one side and the outer corridor on the opposite side and between the court and the said corridors, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. Ajail or prison comprising an inner court which has a generally triangular form in plan; cells arranged in two rows extending alon g opposite sides, respectively, of the court, which cells have windows facing in the direction of the wider end of the court; an inner corridor and an outer corridor arranged at and longitudinally of the outer side of each row of cells with the outer side wall of the outer corridor forming an outer wall of the jail or prison; a grating arranged between and thereby separating the said corridors and provided with a door; doors affording access from the said inner corridor to the adjacent cells; a passage between the narrower or smaller end of the court and the outer corridors; a passage connecting the aforesaid outer corridors at and next to the wider end of the court, and a door and windows in the wall at the wider end of the court, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a jailor prison, a row of cells; a court arranged at one side and extending longitudinally of and adjoining the said row of cells; a corridor arranged at and extending longitudinally of the other side of the row of cells; imperforate or vision-obstructing doors affording access from the said corridor to the adjacent cells; a passage between the said corridor and the court, and the aforesaid cells being provided, respectively, with a window which faces and receives light from the court, and has vision between it and the court-facing windows of the other cells obstructed to such an extent that a prisoner in any cell cannot see or recognize, nor be seen or recognized by, a prisoner in another cell.

In testimony whereof I sign the foregoing specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 28th day of June, 1902, at Cleveland, Ohio.

FRANK O. WE ARY.

Witnesses:

O. H. Donna, TELSA SCHWARTZ.

ICC 

